Iraqi Minorities Victims of Sectarian Conflict

By Ali Mamouri forAl-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

The continuing conflict between Sunnis and Shiites has caused significant negative effects on minorities in Iraq. During the recent setback, many Christian areas have fallen under the control of the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS), which is known for its religious radicalism toward religious and sectarian minorities.

The minorities living in these areas include various Christian communities, the Yazidis and the Shabak who are close to Shiism. Most of these minorities reside in the Ninevah plains, to the northeast of the city of Mosul. In addition, Shiite Turkmen live in the city of Tal Afar, 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) northwest of Mosul. All these minorities also have a presence in different districts of Mosul itself.

When they first controlled these areas, militants did not view minorities in a hostile way, nor did they seek to impose religious restrictions on them. Yet, it quickly turned out that the entire region was under the submission of IS, which aspires to impose its radical religious perception in the areas under its control, particularly after the announcement of the Islamic caliphate.

Recent reports have revealed great massacres against different religious minorities in these areas, which Hanin al-Qadu, head of the Iraqi Minorities Council, described as a genocide against them. IS had posted videos showing the arrest of hundreds of minorities, especially Yazidis and Shiites, and their mass execution.